Migrants protest lack of food, water

KANPUR:Migrant workers travelling on Shramik special trains allegedly damaged railway property at separate places in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday while protesting against scarcity of food, water and unscheduled stoppage during their travel, officials said.

Unnao district magistrate Ravindra Kumar said the migrants complained that a Bengaluru-Darbhanga (Bihar) train, which had left for its destination four days back, was running much behind the schedule and even toilets had no water.

Officials said the passengers threw stones, damaged furniture and the station master’s room at the Unnao railway station when the train halted there for over an hour. They said the railway protection force and government railway police personnel pacified the passengers before the train started its onward journey.

Officials said the workers allegedly damaged benches and threw stones on the railway property at Ajgain and Sonik stations when the train stopped there. The workers were again pacified and assured of all possible help.

Residents ran away from their houses when around 1,000 workers entered a residential area looking for water after another special train headed to Chapra in Bihar from Dadri (Mumbai) arrived at the Kanchausi railway station in UP’s Auraiya. Stationmaster Vishambhar Dayal Pandey said the train was stopped for two hours to let superfast trains pass first. The local police had a tough time in getting the workers out of the residential area.